Standing Up to Adrian Peterson Is Roger Goodell's Finest Moment

Please read the words that follow carefully. They are important words. They are vital words. The words are the most important thing in this horrible case of child abuse. And it is child abuse.   

The words are from Roger Goodell, written in a letter notifying Adrian Peterson that he's been suspended for the remainder of the season without pay. While Goodell has made mistakes in this and other cases, this moment—this particular moment—is his finest.

Goodell wrote:

"

First, the injury was inflicted on a child who was only four years old. The difference in size and strength between you and the child is significant, and your actions clearly caused physical injury to the child. While an adult may have a number of options when confronted with abuse—to flee, to fight back, or to seek help from law enforcement—none of those options is realistically available to a four-year old child. Further, the injury inflicted on your son includes the emotional and psychological trauma to a young child who suffers criminal physical abuse at the hands of his father.

Second, the repetitive use of a switch in this instance is the functional equivalent of a weapon, particularly in the hands of someone with the strength of an accomplished professional athlete.

"

A switch in the hands of a powerful man is not simply a piece of a tree. To a powerful adult, to a supreme athlete, that small branch becomes a weapon. If Peterson, or anyone else, can't see this, then they are fools.

One of the elements of Goodell's actions is to reestablish disciplinary control that was lost by errant NFL decisions in the recent past, particularly with the Ray Rice case. This is the NFL's attempt to capture the high ground. It's an attempt that has flaws and may fail but is noble.

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But there is an even larger lesson here, and it is responsibility. The responsibility of a man, of a father, of a human being for his actions—and in many ways, in every way, Peterson has failed in this regard. In many ways, in every way, Peterson has taken the coward's way out.

Goodell continued:

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Third, you have shown no meaningful remorse for your conduct. When indicted, you acknowledged what you did but said that you would not "eliminate whooping my kids" and defended your conduct in numerous published text messages to the child’s mother. You also said that you felt "very confident with my actions because I know my intent." These comments raise the serious concern that you do not fully appreciate the seriousness of your conduct, or even worse, that you may feel free to engage in similar conduct in the future.

"

From what we know of Peterson, the fact he beat his son—and the fact that I believe, as the NFL does, that he genuinely doesn't feel bad about it, and may not change—is not surprising.

Because at the core of Peterson is this question: What kind of father is he? He lost a son, tragically, and you feel for that. But once, he was asked by an ESPN reporter a simple question: How many kids do you have? He refused to answer. "I know the truth," he said. "And I'm comfortable with that knowledge."

What kind of father won't answer the question of how many kids he has?

The answer is one who has many different kids with many different women. No one knows exactly what the number is. It's been reported that he fathered at least five kids, but it may be seven or more.

This is where part of the problem originates. I don't think Peterson understands what true fatherhood is. How can someone who has that many kids with so many different women fully comprehend the complexities of fatherhood?

He can't spend substantial time with his children, and apparently, in the case of one (and possibly two), during the little time he spent with him—the abused four-year-old—he whipped him with a switch.

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

No, the NFL isn't perfect in this matter, and yes, the league might be overstepping its authority. Maybe the league is making up the rules as it goes, as union chief DeMaurice Smith said on ESPN's Mike and Mike, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.

But remember, in all facets of society, punishment is often arbitrary. If the union wanted to curb Goodell's God-like power so badly, then why didn't it fight harder for it in the last collective bargaining agreement?

I see the NFL, very quietly, taking steps to educate its teams and employees.

An NFL official confirmed to me at the end of October that the league started its domestic violence and sexual assault education process with all teams and NFL employees. The first session was with the New York Giants on October 27. The league has since met with about half of the teams (football personnel, non-football personnel as well sessions for families of both). It will have reached the entire NFL by end of the regular season.

On one slide during these presentations, the NFL asks: "What is physical abuse to a child?" The NFL's answer in these presentations is based on expert advice. The answer gives a few descriptors including "'excessive' corporal punishment is child abuse" and "anything causing physical impairment or visible physical injury" as well as "causing physical injury to a child is not only a violation of the personal conduct policy, but a crime in all 50 states."

Thus I think the NFL, despite its mistakes, is learning as it goes along.

Peterson was not.

When you are a grown man and fathering a litter of children across the country with many women, that says a great deal about you as a person, none of it good.

The commissioner did the right thing because someone, finally, had to stand up to Peterson.

A four-year-old couldn't do it. So Goodell did.

Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report.